NUFC statement (Thursday):

"We understand the level of interest in the club's decision to offer Joey Barton a free transfer.

"However, it would not be dignified, nor would it serve any useful purpose at this present time, for either the club or Joey to air their private issues on this matter in public.

"The club and the player have important business to focus on over the coming days and both parties have come to an agreement that we will not comment further at this time."


Alan Pardew:

"I've never closed the door on anyone and I'm not closing the door on Joey. He trained with the development team today and, who knows, he may train with the first-team soon.

"It's a situation I didn't envisage being in. Joey is a great player and you want great players in your team. It's very important as a football club that you are all pulling in the same direction -- at this moment of time where Joey is not pulling in the same direction.

"That's not to say that can't change in a short period of time. I'm still reflecting on the situation, as is Joey at this present time, on how best to resolve this issue. I think that is important at the moment.

"Maybe if it wasn't for Twitter and this instant media it may have got resolved on Monday morning with me and Joey in my office. The problem with Twitter -- we need to get a hold of this - we have got nothing from the Premier League on how to deal with this.

People are tweeting when in an emotional state. Putting something out instantly can be very, very, damaging. Not only to a football club but to any organisation and it could be to the police too, which I've seen on occasion.

"I spoke to Sir Alex Ferguson, and United's policy is that nobody at their club can comment about the football club (via social networks). It's in breach of contract if you are criticising the owner, the masseur, a player, anyone at the football club ... injury news, that causes problems too ".

"I'm not against those sites, and I don't think many managers in the Premier League are, but they have to be careful not to mention the football club."

"We've notified the players this morning- they've probably seen it as another sort of dictatorial moment from us but we've had to issue them legally with a letter to say this is not right, it's a breach of contract and you have to understand you're going to be fined and disciplined for that. It can't happen. Sir Alex shared with me quite ferociously how difficult this Twitter issue is for clubs, particularly managers.

"Joey will dictate what happens because he's got another year on his contract here. Joey will decide. But if he wants to stay then he has to pull in the same direction as us.

"Everybody was very angry this week and there were decisions on both sides that were made with that anger still at the surface but I cannot and will not run a football team where a player isn't pulling for the team. It was evident that whatever happened with Joey's mind affected the team. I can't accept that.

"It hasn't been the most perfect pre-season. I don't think Newcastle United are in chaos but are we having a difficult week? Yes. Do we need to get our fans into a better place? Yes. Does the team need to improve on the pitch? Yes."

"The problem I've got with the group at the moment is that they want to see one or two players coming through the door. I'm making it very, very clear to Derek and Mike that we need one or two boys in this door. Now."

photo: mirror.co.uk

Sada već bivši igrač Newcastle United-a, Wayne Routledge, potpisao je trogodišnji ugovor, sa novim Premijerligašem, Swansea City. Visina transfera nije objavljena, ali spekuliše se, da je za Routledge-a, Newcastle United inkasirao oko 2 miliona funti.

Routledge je igrao za Crystal Palace, Tottenham, Portsmouth (loan), Fulham (loan), Aston Villa, Cardiff City (loan), QPR, Newcastle, QPR (loan) i sada Swansea City.

photo: 1.bp.blogspot.com

Posle najnovijih Barton-ovih piskaranja na twitter-u, Newcastle United je izdao saopštenje, da je Joey Barton stavljen na transfer listu i da može da ode kao slobodan igrač.

Sa nufc.co.uk:

"Newcastle United can confirm that Joey Barton has been placed on the transfer list today (Monday).

The player has been advised that he can leave the club on a free transfer".

Da podsetimo, Joey Barton je u nedelju na twitter-u, napisao sledeće:

"If only we as players could tell the fans exactly how it is, without them above fining us lots of money. There will be a time and a place.

"If it wouldn't effect team morale and cause unrest within the dressing room, am certain Jose's comments would be the tip of the iceberg.....

"And again it would be left to those magnificent fans to pick up the remnants of their once great football club.

"If I wanted to leave, I'd just come out and say 'I want to leave'. Things need addressing as am not prepared to go through a relegation again.

"If I didn't care, I'd say f**k all and pick my money up."

Samo nekoliko sati posle klupskog saopštenja za javnost, Joey Barton je na twitter-u postavio sledeće:

"Somewhere in those high echelons of NUFC, they have decided I am persona non grata. I am on a free but the honour of wearing those B+W stripes, surpasses that.

One day the board might realise, what the shirt signifies. HONOUR and PRIDE. Thanks for your continued support.."

photo: nufc.co.uk

LEEDS  UNITED  -  NEWCASTLE  UNITED  3 : 2

Dve grube greške golmana Newcastle United-a, Fraser Forster-a, koštale su Newcastle United, makar remija na Elland Road-u. Leeds United je, čini se, veoma lako izašao na kraj sa Newcastle United-om, pobedivši rezultatom 3:2.

Na sunčani Elland Road, Alan Pardew je izveo sledećih XI: Forster, Simpson, Tavernier, Williamson, S.Taylor, Cabaye, Barton, Gosling, Ba, Shola Ameobi, Gutierrez

Poveo je Leeds već u četvrtom minutu, kada je Forster-u lopta ispala iz ruku, pravo na nogu Patrick Kisnorbo-u, koji se sa loptom ušetao u praznu mrežu, dovoljno za 1:0

Newcastle United je na 1:1 izjednačio posle pola sata igre preko Steven Taylor-a, koji je hvatao volej, posle jednog kornera, kojeg je izveo Yohan Cabaye.

Domaći su do kraja poluvremena vrištali za penalom, posle igranja rukom Steven Taylor-a u svom šesnaestercu. Nešto kasnije, Leeds-u je poništen i gol zbog ofsajd pozicije.

Poluvreme: 1 : 1

Leeds je ponovo došao u vođstvo, samo minut posle trostruke izmene u 67. minutu, koju je izvršio Alan Pardew. Ovoga puta, Leeds-u je gol poklonio defanzovac Newcastle-a, Mike Williamson. Naime, Williamson je loptu poklonio Lloyd Sam-u, koji to mirno rešava, šaljući loptu pored nemoćnog Forster-a, za 2:1, minut 67.

Ni tada se Newcastle nije predavao i preko Haris Vučkić-a, ponovo poravnava rezultat na 2:2 u 76. minutu

Meč je išao ka remiju, ali tako nije hteo Fraser Forster, koji ponovo poklanja loptu, ovoga puta Billy Paynter-u, koji udarcem glavom, postavlja konačan rezultat 3:2 u 85. minutu meča.


Konačan rezultat: 3 : 2


NUFC: Forster, Simpson (Dummett 81), Tavernier (R.Taylor 57), Williamson, S.Taylor, Cabaye, Barton, Gosling (Vuckic 67), Ba, Shola Ameobi (Best 67), Gutierrez (Sam Ameobi 67).

Gledalaca: 20.457 (preko 4000 Toon Army) 

photo: nufc.co.uk

COLUMBUS  CREW  -  NEWCASTLE  UNITED  0 : 3

Poslednji meč na USA turneji i prva pobeda na istoj, obeležili su susret između Columbus Crew-a i Newcastle United-a. Još važnije od rezultata, koji je glasio 0:3 za crno-bele je to, da se niti jedan igrač Newcastle United-a na ovom meču nije povredio.

Alan Pardew je na teren Crew Stadium-a izveo sledećih XI: Harper, Tavernier, Enrique, S.Taylor, Coloccini, Tiote, Gosling, Marveaux, Ameobi, Ba, Gutierrez.

Već u devetom minutu meča, Newcastle United preko Shola Ameobi-a, stiže do 0:1. Naime, defanzivac Crew-a, Kevin Burns loše je uputio pas ka svom golmanu, Ameobi je to pratio, presekao pas i poslao loptu u mrežu, za 0:1, minut 9.

Sredinom poluvremena, Crew preti preko Cole Grossman-a, ali njegov udarac završava preko prečke Harper-ovog gola.

Međutim, kjlučni momenat utakmice, dogodio se u 45. minutu prvog poluvremena, kada je golman domaćih igrao rukom van svog kaznenog prostora. Sudija Michael Kennedy, mu je pokazao direktan crveni karton, koji je bio čist kao suza, iako to mnogi nisu očekivali, zbog katastrofalnog suđenja, na meču protiv Orlando-a.


Poluvreme: 0 : 1


Fabricio Coloccini je duplirao prednost svraka u 53. minutu utakmice, udarcem sa desetak metara. Sylvain Marveaux je izveo korner, lopta nije dobro izbačena iz box-a od strane domaćih igrača, ali se na pravom mestu u pravo vreme našao Coloccini i rezantnim udarcem doveo Newcastle United u vođstvo od 0:2, minut 53.

Minut kasnije, upravo je Coloccini napravio put za debi mladog Paul Dummett-a.

Cheik Tiote je izašao iz igre u 62. minutu utakmice. Njega je zamenio Alan Smith. Tiote je i na ovoj utakmici dobio žuti karton. Dva žuta na tri meča. Previše.

U 75. minutu meča, Pardew pravi još dve izmene, šaljući na teren Haris Vučkić-a i Leon Best-a, umesto Sylvain Marveaux-a i Shola Ameobi-a. Poslednju izmenu na meču, Pardew vrši u 85. minutu, kada je u igru poslao Mehdi Abeid-a, umesto Jonas Gutierrez-a.

U 90. minutu utakmice, Haris Vučkić postavlja konačan rezultat 0:3, baš ispred navijača Newcastle United-a, koji su gol proslavili u delirijumu.


Konačan rezultat: 0 : 3


NUFC: Harper, Tavernier, Enrique, S.Taylor, Coloccini (Dummett 54), Tiote (Smith 62), Gosling, Marveaux (Vuckic 75), Ameobi (Best 75), Ba, Gutierrez (Abeid 85).

Crew: Andy Gruenebaum, Sebastian Miranda (Korey Veeder 46), Chad Marshall (Julius James 46), Eric Gehrig (Ben Sippola 86), Shaun Francis (Josh Gardner 46), Emmanuel Ekpo (Eddie Gaven 46) (Aaron Horton 85), Kevin Burns (Santiago Prim 75), Cole Grossman (Dejan Rusmir 60), Bernardo Anor (Robbie Rogers 46), Emilio Renteria (Chris Konopka 45), Tommy Heinemann (Justin Meram 46).

Sudija: Michael Kennedy

Gledalaca: 11,224

photo: nufc.co.uk